It’s the age of smartphones, Internet, iPad’s and Twitter. So what’s the first source of information you’ll head to when it comes to buying a car? Chances are you’ll look at a car buying blog or two. These blogs offer a tremendous amount of information. Some blogs specialize in providing sneak peeks at upcoming cars, while others offer reviews that are so thorough, you might think you’ve been in the driver’s seat even before seeing the car in the flesh.

Yes, we know you’re already on CarWoo!’s car-buying blog, in of itself an excellent place to be for the latest news and reviews, but when it comes down to it, CarWoo! is less about research, more for car-buying; it’s for after you’re done with your research and are ready to get live offers on new cars.

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What is the best car for women?

There isn’t a “best car” for women. It’s far more accurate to say that there is a car out there for every woman. It is certainly no secret in marketing that men and women have wildly different priorities and perspectives they bring to shopping for nearly everything. These differences are readily apparent in the lists of cars most frequently bought by women and men.

As pop psychologists have contended, it does seem that men and women hail from different planets. The registration survey confirms it. Women making their own buying decisions are very drawn to imports from Asia and their most popular European brand is the Mini.

Men Buy More Status Automobiles

On the whole, as you might imagine, some brands are supported in this country almost entirely by male buyers. Men buy almost every high end Italian and German car sold here. They support the luxury segment of the British automobile industry. They also buy the vast majority of the trucks made by the domestic Big Three of Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge.

What also seems apparent from the survey is that women gravitate towards smaller SUVs and crossovers than men tend to buy. Men seem to live up to the old Tim Allen stereotype of demanding larger vehicles with “more power.”

These preferences are borne out in the survey data concerning the individual models that are bought, regardless of brand. Men buy most of the exotic imported sports cars sold in America. They support the sales of the Chevrolet Corvette without much help from their mates, and of course chances are excellent that when you see a V8 pickup on the road there is a man at the wheel.

Women Want Cars That Don’t Dominate Their Lives

By contrast, female buyers are largely responsible for the ongoing popularity of Asian compact SUV’s like the Toyota RAV-4, the Honda CR-V, the Hyundai Tucson and Nissan Rogue. The sports cars are the Mazda Miata or perhaps a Volkswagen Beetle Turbo or Cabriolet, ones that are fun to drive without the mind boggling service costs or that feature tires that cost well over two thousand dollars to replace.

It’s not a stretch to say that several other factors play out in the registration data. Foremost, there seems to be an income difference, one reflected in every study ever done on the pay differences between the genders. It also becomes clear that most new cars registered solely by women are purchased when they are single and starting out. There is a marked lack of luxury sedans, which are usually purchased or leased mid-to-late career. Also poorly represented are the “missing” bigger SUVs and minivans, which are usually compromise purchases made by families and truly loved by neither men nor women.

So again, what is the best car for women? The buying data from women themselves says one that is big enough, but remains economical, safe but a little bit sporty, something that can carry your friends and their bags from the airport, but not move their couches, and above all else it’s reliable.

The great thing is that through knowing yourself and what you want, you’ll find that car on your own.

Top 4 New Car Buying Sites

So you’re in the market for a new car, but you’re not quite ready to head down to the dealership? You’ve come to the right place! Here’s a breakdown of four of the top new car buying sites to help you on your search. Obviously, we’re a bit biased, and think CarWoo! is awesome, but we want to share the information about all the big players out there, so that you can have the best possible experience as you buy your new car.

CarWoo!, the Only Actual Car Buying Site

• What Makes It Different: “First and foremost, we focus on the car buying process, not research.” CarWoo! is the only site that lets you get competitive bids on real inventory without giving up your contact information.

Pros of CarWoo!

• You are 100% anonymous. We solicit offers from dealers for you, without giving dealers your email or phone number.
• Do it all online. Communicate and negotiate without ever walking into a dealership.
• Dealers know they are competing, so they tend to send you a great deal, without playing games.
• Independent estimates of additional costs (tax, tag, title) are included in the price you see.
• Once you accept an offer online, you receive a CarWoo! Claim Certificate that locks in the price so when you arrive at the dealership you just sign your paperwork and leave with your new car.

Cons of CarWoo!

• Offers aren’t instantly available. They may take 24-48 hours to arrive. (We’re working on making this better!)

Conclusion: You have to do your general research elsewhere, though our car pricing pages and other research pages get better every day. At the end of the day CarWoo! provides an efficient and hassle-free platform when it’s time to actually make your purchase.

AutoTrader, the Inventory Monster

• What Makes It Different: AutoTrader.com is the largest car buying site with over 3 million listings. Their stated mission is “to be your ultimate online solution for buying and selling new, certified and used cars.” 

Pros of AutoTrader

• Volume of inventory.
• Listings from private sellers as well as dealers.
•  Very comprehensive process. You can do general research on different car models, find local dealers, investigate loans and insurance, peruse cars for sale, and sell or trade in your own car.

Cons of AutoTrader

•  Trade-ins usually won’t get you a good price.
• You can’t actually do the deal online, you still have to show up to the dealership to do the haggling.

Conclusion: A great site for initial research, AutoTrader allows you to gather general information about different models and get a sense of what inventory is available and what general asking prices are likely to be. The sheer volume of options and information can be a little overwhelming, however.    

Cars.com, AutoTrader lite

• What Makes it Different: Cars.com’s primary focus is providing information so that they “can formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy, and how much to pay for a car.”

Pros of Cars.com

• Get a good look at what cars are available at local dealerships
• Get pricing without giving up contact information

Cons of Cars.com

• Their selection is somewhat inferior to other top sites.

Conclusion: If you’re a little overwhelmed by AutoTrader.com, this can be a great site for your initial research. It’s also a great “second opinion” site to AutoTrader. Its primary focus is giving you information so you’re more prepared when you arrive at the dealer.

TrueCar, the Research & Pricing Site

• What Makes It Different: “TrueCar is an information and technology platform” focused on providing pricing information to consumers.

Pros of TrueCar

• Excellent pricing information, based on actual transactions and including a negotiability index.

Cons of TrueCar

• Pricing information is general rather than specific, so you still have to negotiate your individual sale on your own.
• Price Reports don’t include tax, tag or title fees.
• Because TrueCar prices are virtual rather than vehicle-specific, the car you configure on their site may not be available at your dealership.
• You become a lead. Yuck! You have to provide personal information to see dealerships and participate (get ready for a deluge of phone calls and emails!).
• Though their dealers are “certified,” TrueCar pulls from a small pool of a few thousand dealers as compared to AutoTrader’s 300,000 sellers.

Conclusion: The key to a productive experience with TrueCar is realizing its function as an information gathering tool rather than a comprehensive car-buying service. The information TrueCar provides is excellent, but you will still have to research inventory on other new car buying sites before you are able to drive off the lot in your new car.

Those are some of our thoughts, but we’d love to hear from you. Sound off in the comments with what you think the best new car buying sites are!

It’s a pretty good time to get a new set of wheels.  The average interest rate on a new car loan is 4.24%, lenders are doling out higher amounts as well as more time in which to pay it back, and they aren’t being quite as picky with whom they give it to as in years past.  Balance transfer credit card offers are also about as attractive as they’ve ever been.
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I’ve always disliked it when you’re watching two football teams go at it, and, after some huge hit or game changing play, the opposing players help each other up and give out pats on the back.  I understand if you know each other or have some ties that go back, but save that for after the game.  On the field it’s supposed to be nothing but bad vibes, so when you see your opponent on the ground, leave them there.  Maybe give a boot to the ribs when the refs aren’t watching.  Alright, nix that last part. Continue reading →

As once overlooked brands like Hyundai, Kia, and Scion continue to throw out inexpensive nameplates that provide competitive quantities of performance and luxury as compared to their higher priced rivals, shoppers have more choice than ever- and a more complicated decision to ponder. Continue reading →

Your underwear and auto preferences may be more similar than you think.  On the one hand we’ve got something that most folks would consider pretty intimate, usually used on a daily basis for important reasons, and seen by the public either quite frequently or very seldom, depending on the user.  Some people even break out flashy versions for those really special occasions.  And then of course there’s the underwear you wear.  Form, fit, and function- our cars and underwear have been forever linked together thanks to crack CarWoo! research performed by a handpicked team consisting of myself.  And the results are quite telling. Continue reading →

True story: My friends and I once tailgated without a car.  We simply integrated ourselves into the mix with dual 18 packs of Coors Light.  It helped that it was a Wazzu Cougars game, whose fans have been known to enjoy an adult beverage or two.  You don’t have to deal with the embarrassment of what we went through, though, because I’ve provided a list of the best vehicles for setting up parking lot parties.  What makes for a superior tailgater?  Beer, food, and a pickup bed, sure.  But there’s more to it than that.  I think.  Read on and see if I actually came up with anything else. Continue reading →

David Bakke is a contributor for Money Crashers Personal Finance, where he shares tips for car buying and maintenance, money management, smart shopping, and more.

If you ask 10 people when the best time of year is to buy a new car, you’re likely to get 10 different answers. But statistically speaking, there are certain times when you’re likely to get a better price. Comparing prices and negotiating with salesmen are two important aspects of the car buying process, but so is knowing when to shop. Continue reading →